Protective Apparel for Use While Gardening

ABSTRACT

A protective member is disclosed which is intended for wearing on the forearm of a wearer when gardening The protective member includes a sleeve of generally tubular construction that is of an extended length. The sleeve is formed of a fabric that is flexible, resilient, and somewhat stretchable. The sleeve includes open distal and proximal ends and is adapted to fit snugly over the forearm of the wearer. The fabric retains a memory of the shape of the wearer&#39;s forearm so that after repeated uses by the wearer, the sleeve tends to be form fitting while wearing. The sleeve is dimensioned to extend approximately from the wrist to at least the elbow of the wearer. The distal end defines a single opening allowing the wearer&#39;s hand to fully protrude therethrough. The distal and proximal ends of the tubular sleeve are elasticized to grip the wearer&#39;s forearm.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to improvements in garments. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a sleeve arranged to be worn on one or both of the forearms of a user during gardening or similar activities to protect the wearer from scratches and cuts that are often caused by thorns, stickers, rocks, small stones, roots, poisonous plants, sharp twigs, branches, and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known that a gardener while working in the garden comes into contact with an almost limitless variety of thorns, briars, stickers, splinters, rocks, small stones, roots, poisonous or irritating plants or plant oils, bugs, sharp twigs, and branches which can cause rashes, painful swelling, allergic reactions, cuts, scrapes and scratches. Several types of the foregoing listed vegetation can be poisonous. It is also well known that a gardener can come into contact with insects that can deliver bites or stings that are quite painful. Some people have allergic reactions to such bites or stings requiring hospitalization. Some stings and bites have been known to kill people or cause diseases.

The gardener is also exposed to the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, which can cause premature aging and cancer of the skin. Often, current forms of gardening gloves are short in that they only extend to the wearer's wrist and no further. Such gloves offer little or nothing in the way of protecting the gardener's forearm. Gardening gloves are more frequently intended for protecting the hands and fingers during use while performing various gardening chores. Other types of gardening gloves, such as those intended for working with roses, are heavy duty and are provided with an integral or attached elbow length gauntlet or cuff, often made of puncture-resistant vinyl or leather that flares outwardly as it extends over the forearm to protect the forearm from rose thorns, poison ivy, and other prickly plants. In other words, the gauntlet or cuff portion does not conform to the shape of the wearer's forearm. Such gloves provide protection during tasks including pruning roses, gathering brush, hauling firewood, or picking blackberries. However, often such gloves are provided as one-size-fits-all and often are bulky. As the gauntlet or cuff flares out over the forearm, it is not form-fitting making bending the elbow and other maneuvering difficult. Also, with such gloves, to protect the forearms, the gloves must be worn.

Often, a gardener may desire the flexibility of wearing protection on the forearms without the need for wearing gloves having integral or attached cuffs or gauntlets, such as when working for an extended period of time with hands submerged in water or mud, or where work requires sensitivity or fine finger dexterity. Thus, even where rose gloves provide features for protecting the forearms of the wearer, e.g., cuffs or gauntlets, such gloves do not fully address the needs of the garden worker who chooses to work without gloves yet continues to need protection for forearms from the aforementioned irritants to prevent rashes, painful swelling, allergic reactions, cuts, scrapes, and scratches. Thus, for the foregoing reasons, a need exists for a stand-alone protective member that is not attached or attachable to any gardening glove, is form-fitting to the forearm, and is provided for covering and protecting the forearm of the gardener during gardening to alleviate the above problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A protective member is disclosed which is intended for wearing on the forearm of a wearer when gardening The protective member includes a sleeve of generally tubular construction that is of an extended length. The sleeve is formed of a fabric that is flexible, resilient, and somewhat stretchable. The sleeve includes open distal and proximal ends and is adapted to fit snugly over the forearm of the wearer. The fabric retains a memory of the shape of the wearer's forearm so that after repeated uses by the wearer, the sleeve tends to be form fitting while wearing. The sleeve is dimensioned to extend approximately from the wrist to at least the elbow of the wearer. The distal end defines a single opening allowing the wearer's hand to fully protrude therethrough. The distal and proximal ends of the tubular sleeve are elasticized to grip the wearer's forearm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the protective apparel of the present invention disposed over a wearer's forearm;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now in detail to the various figures of the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown at 10 in FIG. 1 the protective apparel or sleeve constructed in accordance with this invention. The sleeve 10 is flexible and is in the form of a knitted tube. The sleeve 10 is arranged to be worn on a wearer's forearm and includes a sleeve body 16 that extends from an open proximal end 18 located at the wearer's elbow 22 to an open distal end 26 located at the wearer's wrist below the hand 30. It is important to mention that although FIG. 1 illustrates the sleeve 10 as being worn on the left forearm, it should be understood that the sleeve 10 can be worn on either forearm. As best shown in FIG. 2, at the proximal 18 and distal 26 ends, the fabric forming the sleeve 10 is folded onto itself and then held in place by a stitch 28 to form a hem. Optionally, an elastic band or other finishing (not shown) may be incorporated at the open proximal 18 and distal 26 ends of the sleeve to facilitate retaining the sleeve 10 in position on the forearm of the wearer. The elastic band may include one or more elastic bands or straps which are sewn or knitted into the sleeve 10 at these locations. The outer surface of the sleeve body 16 may include decorative indicia, e.g., flowers (not shown), either applied to the outer surface of the sleeve 10 or knitted or sewn into the sleeve body 16. Alternatively, other decorative elements or themes suggestive of gardening or other themes could be applied to the sleeve body 16.

The sleeve 10 may be constructed of any suitable material. For example, the sleeve 10 may be constructed from a tubular woven fabric. Alternatively, the sleeve 10 could be cut from a conventional tube sock, which is a closed-toe sock that is knitted in a single substantially straight tubular shape through the leg and foot portions, with no clearly delineated heel and ankle portions. By cutting the tube sock in proximity to the closed toe portion and creating a hem at the end from which the closed toe portion was cut, the sleeve 10 of the present invention may be formed. Alternatively, the end from which the closed toe portion was cut may be left unhemmed. Tube socks are a one-size-fits-all design, with different lengths being purchased depending on how large the purchaser's feet are and how far up the leg they want their socks to reach. Such tube socks are readily available at numerous clothing stores, especially athletic stores, and they can also be ordered from various manufacturers.

The sleeve 10 is flexible and provides shape and strength, is elastic, and conforms to the shape of the wearer's forearm 14 so that it will not slip up or down the forearm or bunch up. The sleeve 10 may be formed of many types of suitable materials such as knitted or woven fibers, including synthetic fibers that wick moisture away from the skin, do not cause blisters, and provide comfortable contact with the wearer's forearm while providing suitable protection against scratches, cuts and rashes that are often caused by thorns, stickers, rocks, small stones, roots, poisonous plants, sharp twigs, branches, and the like. The sleeve 10 may be formed of stretchable synthetic yarn such as is nylon, and nonstretchable yarn such as cotton. The sleeve may be formed of a material that employs a low percentage of cotton, since cotton does little to wick moisture and can easily cause blisters. For example, the sleeve 10 could be made with 85% ultra wicking acrylic, 10% Spandex and 5% nylon. The sleeve 10 may be provided in different weights, with a heavy sleeve for winter wear in cold climates, and more lightweight versions for use during summer.

It is understood that the sleeve 10 and its constituent parts described herein is an exemplary indication of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and is given by way of illustration only. In other words, the concept of the present invention may be readily applied to a variety of preferred embodiments, including those disclosed herein. While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. 

1. A protective member for the forearm of a wearer when gardening, said member comprising: a. a sleeve of generally tubular construction and extended length and formed of a fabric that is flexible, resilient, and somewhat stretchable, said sleeve having an open distal end and an open proximal end and being adapted to fit snugly over the forearm of the wearer wherein said fabric retains a memory of the shape of the wearer's forearm so that after repeated uses by the wearer, said sleeve tends to be form fitting; b. said sleeve being dimensioned to extend approximately from the wrist to at least the elbow of the wearer, said open distal end defining a single opening allowing the wearer's hand to fully protrude therethrough; and, c. said open distal and open proximal ends of said tubular sleeve being elasticized to grip the wearer's forearm.
 2. The protective member of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is formed of a scratch-resistant material.
 3. The protective member of claim 1, wherein said protective member is formed of a nylon material.
 4. The protective member of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes an outer surface having decorative indicia thereon.
 5. The protective member of claim 4, wherein said decorative indicia is flowers.
 6. The protective member of claim 1, wherein said sleeve tightly conforms to the wearer's forearm to retain said protective member in place during movement of said forearm.
 7. The protective member of claim 1, wherein said sleeve is formed of a knitted tube.
 8. The protective member of claim 1, in which said protective member is made by obtaining a conventional tube sock having an open proximal end and a closed toe portion at a distal end, cutting a selected length off said sock in proximity to said closed toe portion to form an open distal end.
 9. The protective member of claim 8, wherein said open distal end is hemmed.
 10. The protective member of claim 1, wherein said protective member is arranged to be worn on the left forearm or the right forearm of a wearer.
 11. The protective member of claim 1, wherein said open proximal and distal ends of said sleeve are hemmed.
 12. The protective member of claim 1, wherein said sleeve includes a synthetic fiber that wicks moisture away from the skin. 